As one who believes that there's almost no such thing as a bad cruise, I must say that this one came dangerously close. Inconsistent food quality and consistently hideous decor were the worst offenders. They could have ruined this cruise, had it not been for great ports of call, wonderfully-produced shows, and and some of the best dining companions I've had on any cruise. Also, the Freedom's crew was, in most cases, as friendly and professional as any I've encountered.

INSIDE

First, the interior decor: the Freedom was one of the last Carnival vessels designed by ship architect Joe Farcus, who has since moved on. To that last part I would say thank goodness, as his creative well appears to have run dry with the Freedom. If you're interested, Farcus, in a video clip (http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/joe_farcus/ship_architect.aspx), explains his inspirations for the design. To me, the main inspiration was to see how many clashing colors, incompatible patterns, and tacky decorative elements could be crammed into one ship. At this he succeeded. Read more